Marshall Space Flight Center Director Robert Lightfoot is not troubled that a much anticipated report that should set the future course of NASA has been delayed from a Monday release date, when it should have landed on the president's desk.

NASAMarshall Director Robert Lightfoot speaks today.

Lightfoot said he expected as much, because the Augustine Commission - set up in April to review NASA's plans - had been "asking questions as late as this past weekend."

The review panel has been mulling over options to send to President Barack Obama that include modifying the space shuttle to fly longer or going forward with the Marshall-managed Ares I and Ares V rockets.

"We don't know what will be suggested. I know what they have been looking at in the public hearings, and I know that we have been answering any questions put to us by the commission," Lightfoot told The Times today. "Other than that we are waiting on it like everybody else."

Lightfoot said he was not bothered that the commission is reviewing human space flight and "that we have been told to keep pressing on Ares and that's what we are doing. We've got hardware, and we've got a test schedule and that's where we are going."

The fact the White House appointed a commission is actually a positive step, Lightfoot said, because it shows "there is interest in NASA at that level. This president has taken time to speak to shuttle crews twice on orbit for a lengthy amount of time.

"I think that shows his commitment to space exploration and human space flight."